


Finding our lost second chance

by spiralnebulaM31



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-01-22 05:04:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12474108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiralnebulaM31/pseuds/spiralnebulaM31
Summary: In the past, Regina starts a quest to find out if her Robin is alive. In the present, her cursed self, Roni, meets Regan, a British guy with blue eyes and a lion tattoo on his wrist. Spoilers up to 7x03, canon divergent AU after that. Outlaw Queen, started for OQ Fix It Week and continued for OQ Prompt Party Week 2018.





	1. A shining scarf and a first meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Unbetaed, because I literally had the idea yesterday and I could only write the first chapter tonight. In this story the first part of the chapter will be flashbacks in italics and the second part in present time. I hope you guys enjoy reading this. Reviews and comments are always welcome :) You can also find me on twitter with the handle @stargazingM31.
> 
> \- Anastasia

 

**_The land where Henry is living his own story_ **

_She attempts to turn on her side, but she can't seem to be able to get comfortable. She turns on her back again, but her spine hurts, reminding her that she's getting older and also that sleeping on the ground is not her favourite thing in the world._

_Unless she's with_ him _. When Robin was by her side, even spending nights with him out in the wild felt cozy and safe._

_But he isn't here now, and he'll never be again, so his memory suddenly haunting her night is anything but pleasant._

_How can she not think of him though? In this place out of all the places she could have been at? She's in a forest, actually sleeping in it, or at least attempting to sleep in it._

_It was his home, where he raised his son, where he did what he knew best and helped people in need. Where they met._

_Warm summer nights with Robin and Roland near the edge of the forest come to her mind like a gracious dream._

_Cold and aggressive stormy nights during missions with him are now comforting to her battered soul. Having to cuddle for warmth with the person she then couldn't admit she actually craved the warmth of now is a blessing long gone._

_A breathy and tentative first kiss by the fire. A more certain second one, with the passion and affection only two souls who have finally found each other can share._

_Trust._

_Protection._

_Hope._

_A tear runs down Regina's cheek._

_Her fear to grasp that second chance at love wasn't unreasonable. And now, years later, when she lets it take over her heart and mind again, the pain is as strong as it was the moment she saw his soul separate from his lifeless body and vanish into nothing._

_But this time she can't let it. She's with Henry again and she wants to help him get the happy ending he deserves. She can't let herself be consumed by devastation and lose focus in her current mission._

_However, not thinking about him in this forest seems to be impossible, especially after her conversation with Cinderella. Raising the dead, she said - that's what her stepmother is trying to do, give back the life of a loved one._

_And oh, how Regina understands that. She spent years and years trying to revive Daniel, losing herself in the process._

_But with Robin… She couldn't. Because someone else would have to pay the price, someone with a special heart, and even then, success wouldn't be certain. And how could she sacrifice her son? Henry is the most important person in her life and Robin was always one of the few people - if not the only one - who understood that completely. Roland meant the world to him. The two of them were parents first and that was something that had quickly given them bonding moments, even during those rocky first months in the Enchanted Forest._

_A shaky sigh leaves her mouth as she contemplates letting herself fully feel it just for a few minutes. Run away from the camp, cry as hard as she needs and return like nothing happened._

_A sob escapes shakingly and she knows she has to do it._

_She runs and runs, until she finds a stream. She kneels by it and falls on her palms to steady herself as violent sobs take over her body._

_She cries and cries, wondering whether the pain will ever feel less acute, until suddenly a new train of thought forms in her mind. She reaches for her bag and takes out a piece of garment, one of the few things she has left of him. The scarf he gave her on the day of their memorable date by the fire, the scarf that warmed her neck like a caress, like his arm warmed its special place around her hip and the fire warmed their bodies as they kissed and touched and loved. Sometimes she thinks she can still get a whiff of his scent when she wraps the scarf protectively around her neck. It's heartbreaking, but at the same time incredibly comforting._

_And now, said scarf is in her hands and the spell falls out of her mouth automatically, out of habit._

_Regina might not have tried to bring Robin back to life, but that doesn't mean she hasn't tried to bring his soul back to her. That tiny annoying hint of hope has stayed with her during all these years, even after looking in realm after realm without finding anything._

_This is a different realm though. One she's visiting for the first time and with the bit of hope flickering in her heart, not trying is not an option._

_Robin's scarf shines with blue light (a light that reminds her of his eyes). It's supposed to drive her to him, but its shine goes out and she's left in the dark._

_That's what always happens._

_But not this time. This time the scarf keeps shining and a few seconds later, it hovers above the ground, beginning to cross the stream._

_Regina is stunned, staring at it with eyes widened and mouth suddenly dry. She recovers relatively quickly, mostly out of fear of losing the scarf from her eyes, and shakes her head to clear her thoughts._

_She reverses the spell and brings the garment back in her hands. Her heart is beating wildly at the prospect of Robin actually being there. New tears come to her eyes and her breathing is uneven._

_She wills herself to calm down and think logically._

_Another Cinderella._

_Different stories._

_Which means that there could easily be another Robin Hood in this realm. A different Robin. One who probably even_ looks  _different._

_Her heart sinks and she momentarily beats herself for feeling almost excited at the thought of making the blue shine reappear and actually following it._

_A deep ache forms behind her eyes as she's torn between anticipation for something that will most definitely not be true and fear of failing to get her soulmate back once again._

_With heavy steps she returns to her makeshift bed at the camp and takes comfort in Henry's steady breaths while he's asleep._

_Sleep doesn't come to her at all, too many "what if"s filling her troubled mind._

**..**

**::::::**

**..**

**Hyperion Heights**

Roni groans when she hears the shrill ring of her alarm clock. She blindly reaches for her phone, turning off the damn thing that dared waking her up. She wills herself to open her eyes against the bright sunrays that fill the room and realizes that if she doesn't get up soon, she'll be late for the meeting.

It's an early Saturday morning - at least early for Roni, since she was up working until the break of dawn. And now, noon is nearing, but her body is nowhere close to rested.

She has to do this though; for her pub and her neighborhood.

She knew she had to change her beer provider the moment she found out that her regular one, the only one she remembers ever having, works for Victoria Belfrey. She owns his company, something unsurprising for Hyperion Heights. She owns most buildings and businesses in the area and, if Roni isn't careful, she'll have to pass her pub to her.

Roni stopped her once and she'll keep trying to prevent her from gaining even more power until everyone else sees how restrained they are by her leadership.

Roni's search for a new provider was unexpectedly easy. She was looking for someone who doesn't have anything to do with the leading lady of the neighborhood and found only one person who fit that criterion. The owner of a small independent company, the person that was probably already waiting for her outside her pub.

"Shit," she whispers as she jumps out of bed, her sleepy reverie having delayed her for several minutes without her realizing.

He's there when she leaves the apartment and she thanks the universe - or better, her bright ideas - that she lives right above her pub.

Unlocking the door with an apology and a smile, she lets him in.

He brushes the apology away, telling her that he didn't have to wait for long. She takes a look at him then - he's about her age, with dirty blonde hair that's mostly turned to grey, bright blue eyes and quite toned arms.

For some reason he's nothing like she had expected. And she can't say the way he looks isn't pleasing to the eye.

"Regan Ladley, I assume?"

"The very same, milady," he says, returning the smile she gave him earlier. She's about to scoff at the anachronism he called her by, but a pair of dimples form on his cheeks as his lips curve, and that distracts her. He's even more attractive now and Roni thinks that she doesn't mind being called "milady" by him. On the contrary, it's charming, especially when pronounced with that British accent of his. "And you must be Roni."

"That's me. Welcome to Roni's," she says, gesturing at the bottles he's holding with a questioning look.

"I couldn't come to sell you my beer without bringing samples, could I?" he says with a wink.

Roni can't help the heat that creeps up her cheeks and she hopes she doesn't blush. It's embarrassing enough that he gets such a reaction out of her at her age; she doesn't need that reaction to be obvious to him.

"Of course. What do you have to show me?"

"Golden Arrow" and "Deep Forest Green" are his suggestions. The taste of both is pleasant and the two of them drink in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Roni asks the question that's been on her mind since she first read about him. "So, what's the deal with your business? How come you don't depend on Victoria Belfrey's fundings?"

"She's hardly the queen of this place. She can make people afraid of her, but not me. I've gone against her before and I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it was needed."

Roni can hear something in Regan's voice, a warm and reassuring quality she hasn't heard from many people in her life. For a moment she wonders how it can be that they've both been in Hyperion Heights for years but never exchanged a word before, never even seen each other before.

Suddenly she remembers something else she read during her research.

"What about all that money you give to charities? Your prices seem to be reasonable…" she says, leaving the sentence hanging in the air between them.

"And that's a reasonable question. I give half my profit to charities, because giving a smile to people's faces feels like one of the most important things I've ever done. Besides, I don't need much to survive; what I've got is more than enough."

His answer more than pleases Roni. "You got a Robin Hood thing going, don't you?" she teases. "The arrow, the forest… The not allowing the rich have it and give it to the poor instead."

He chuckles and she's glad, because he gets her humour. She doesn't mean to mock him; she actually admires what he does. She feels like they are in the beginning of a great professional agreement.

"First of all, don't think I haven't noticed that you have arrows around here as well, and I'm curious to find out why one day," he teases back, at which Roni raises her eyebrows amusedly. "Second," he continues, "next time I'll also bring the Merry Men Ale for you to taste."

A laugh escapes Roni and he laughs as well, the whole thing a little ridiculous, but strangely familiar and comfortable.

"Very well then. I'll be glad to do business with you," she says after their outburst of laughter has subsided, extending her hand for a sealing handshake. "Let's keep Belfrey out of our lives."

In one moment Roni is observing the way Regan's well defined muscles move under the thin material of his shirt as he moves his arm, and in the next she feels goosebumps running down her spine. She can't figure out whether it's from his grin, his touch or the edge of his tattoo that she's just noticed on his wrist under his pulled up sleeve.

A strong sense of déjà vu hits her as she looks at the black ink and even hours later, she wonders what that shield with a lion drawn on it means.


	2. More first meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With inspiration given to me by some prompts of the OQ Prompt Party Week 2018, I'm finally continuing this story. This chapter is unbetaed and written for prompt #15 - Roland and Robyn meet for the first time. Reviews and comments are always welcome :) You can also find me on twitter as @stargazingM31.
> 
> \- Anastasia

 

**_Storybrooke_ **

 

_Robin glances tentatively into the room, not wanting to interrupt the serene scene he expects to find. Indeed, what he sees deserves peace and calmness, just like the peace and calmness it radiates._

 

_Regina is sitting on a rocking chair, one she’s had since Henry was a baby. She used to hold him close to her chest when he was upset and the rocking movements of the chair helped soothe him like magic. She described Henry’s old nursery to Robin when they were about to bring his daughter home from the hospital, told him that they could use it until they could turn it into her own room. That’s where she’s sitting now, with another baby close to her chest, one that Robin still can’t believe was born that early._

 

_He’s seen Regina’s love for Henry. It’s strong and unique, the love only a mother has for her child._

 

_He’s stunned to see the same kind of love being given freely by the woman he loves to his newborn daughter. A daughter that was born out of deception and lies, but one he already adores because she’s part of him._

 

_Regina’s eyes are closed just like those of the sleeping baby, but Robin knows that she’s awake. One of her hands is holding the baby’s little body and the other is rubbing circles on her tiny back. Regina’s head turns slowly and without opening her eyes, she places a chaste kiss to the baby’s forehead like it’s the most natural thing in the world._

 

_Regina loves his daughter and Robin loves Regina even more for that - just when he thought loving her more wouldn’t ever be possible. He’s loathe to destroy their calmness, to break the bonding bubble they’ve created for themselves._

 

_A tug on his sleeve and an impatient “Papa!” brings him back to the reason he’s actually there for. When he looks into the room again, he meets Regina’s eyes, open and alert this time._

 

_“Sorry for scaring you,” he says, chuckling as he places an arm around Roland’s shoulder and guides him into Henry’s old nursery._

 

_“It’s alright,” Regina says. Sending an encouraging smile Roland’s way, she adds, “We’ve been waiting for you.”_

 

_“Come on, my boy. Come meet your sister,” Robin says to an excited but hesitant Roland._

 

_Roland glances at his father, then at Regina and then at the still sleeping baby in her arms. He takes a few steps until he’s closer to the rocking chair and brings his arm up to poke the baby’s leg. The tiny girl stirs almost imperceptibly in her sleep and that makes Roland retrieve his hand._

 

_“Can I rub her back like you’re doing, Regina?” he whispers._

 

_Regina nods and takes his hand gently to place it on the baby’s back. Roland smiles at the soft content sound that comes out of his sister’s lips._

 

_“She likes it,” Regina tells him._

 

_The way she looks at Roland melts Robin’s heart and he’s suddenly grateful that technology exists in Storybrooke. He takes his phone out of his pocket and snaps a few pictures of his family, capturing the loving moments forever._

**..**

**::::::**

**..**

**Hyperion Heights**

 

It’s Saturday again and Regan is outside Roni’s ten minutes earlier than their planned time. He feels a little bad that he’s making her wake up before noon again. He knows of the pub’s opening hours and he thinks she might not be too keen on the idea of not having a proper rest.

 

He sighs and momentarily wishes he didn’t have this stupid ten-minutes-earlier rule, so that he wouldn’t have to wait. He doesn’t really know why the Saturday delivery kept him on the edge of his seat for the whole week. Maybe it was her smile, maybe the fact that it looked like she felt the same familiarity he did when they first met. Maybe it was the continuous accidental meetings they had throughout the week. He still can’t understand how he’d never seen that woman before and now he keeps meeting her like the universe wants to send them a message, to give them a sign.

  


He went grocery shopping and there Roni was, about to grab the same pack of cheese as him. He was at the mall looking for new jeans and there Roni was, buying jeans at the women’s section nearby. He had to request new recycling bins because someone had lit his on fire and there Roni was, crossing the street that led to the recycling center, even though it was far from her building.

 

Two more accidental meetings later and here he is, with his palms sweaty and his heart beating faster than normal. He chuckles to himself; it’s not like he’s a teenager and this nervous feeling is completely unfitting for his age.

 

Is it though? Does it really matter how old you are when you find someone you’re attracted to?

 

 _Open your eyes and take every chance_ , Marita told him the night before she passed away. His first love will forever remain in his heart, but maybe it isn’t too late for a new chance.

 

“Hey, what are you thinking?” Raphael asks.

 

Regan is lost for a moment, indecisive as to what he should say without revealing his exact thoughts to the young man.

 

He’s saved by the lock unturning and the door opening to reveal a smiling Roni.

 

Or at least he thinks he is saved; judging from Raphael’s look, he’ll probably get some teasing later.

 

Roni looks wide awake this time and a weight lifts off Regan’s shoulders. At least it doesn’t look like his work schedule forced her out of bed today.

 

“This is Raphael,” Regan says after they exchange their good mornings. “He’ll be helping me unload the beer.”

 

Regan can almost feel the same familiarity when Roni and Raphael shake hands and he wonders if they feel it, too.

 

A young woman enters the pub while they’re unloading the last beers. She takes one of the “Golden Arrow” bottles and looks at Roni with her eyebrow raised.

 

“Not until next week,” Roni says strictly. Her resolve breaks quickly though, and she cracks a smile that brightens up the entire place. “It’s so good to see you,” she says as she hugs the young woman.

 

“Regan, Raphael,” Roni says, “this is my niece, Rey.”

 

“Regan! We have the same name,” Rey says.

 

She shakes his hand and that familiar feeling hits him once more. The same feeling he gets when he notices her dimples and her blue eyes. He used to imagine having a daughter with Marita before she got sick, and in his mind she looked a lot like Rey. Just like their imaginary son looked a lot like Raphael, with dark hair and eyes that would always remind him of Marita.

 

“You look older than 21,” Rey says when she shakes Raphael’s hand.

 

Raphael chuckles. “I am.”

 

“Lucky you, you can have one of these legally,” Rey says pointedly, looking at her aunt.

 

“Well, we’re going to have a huge celebration next week and you can try one of these,” Roni says, winking at Rey.

 

“I’m just kidding,” Rey explains to the two men. “Aunt Roni is making such a big deal of my 21st birthday!”

 

“It is a big deal!” Roni says. “You’ve grown up so fast…”

 

“I know the feeling,” Regan says. “I’ve known Raphael since he was fifteen years old and I can’t believe how quickly time has gone by and how much he’s changed. I still remember when-”

 

“Oh, no, are you going to embarrass me with something I did back then that I probably don’t even remember?”

 

Regan sees Roni smiling sweetly and knowingly at his interaction with Raphael and he suddenly feels closer to her. He wants to say something, anything that could possibly make them meet again before the next delivery, but Raphael and Rey are there, and it doesn’t feel right to-

 

His train of thought is interrupted again, this time by Rey. “Why don’t you two come to my birthday party next Friday?” she asks.

 

When Regan and Raphael leave the pub, it’s with silent hope inside Regan’s heart that he’ll be able to get to know Roni a little better on Friday night.


	3. Her son and the party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeataed and written for prompt #36 of the OQ Prompt Party 2018: Robin or Regina have to pick up a drunk Henry or Roland. I hope you enjoy reading!
> 
> \- Anastasia

 

**_The land where Henry is living his own story_ **

_The first light of the day finds her in a haze after having slept restlessly only for a few hours. With her eyes still closed, she can feel her back stiff and sore, and hear murmurs of those who are already up. She doesn't want to make any movement, yet she's looking forward to speaking with her son again. And so, it's only when she hears his voice that she decides to get up and face the day._

_Henry is having breakfast alongside Cinderella, close to a small campfire. Regina's heart falls when she realizes once again how much time has passed, how long it's been since he left Storybrooke. How much his life has changed. She sits on her own after bidding them good morning._

_Not even a minute goes by and Henry suddenly plops down next to her on her log._

" _It's been a long time since we had breakfast together. I've missed it," he says, smiling at her._

_Regina's heart swells at the normalcy of the moment. It might have been years, but the fact that they're family will never change. She finds comfort at that thought, even though she knows that her boy is now grown up and living on his own._

" _Hey, mom, where are your thoughts wandering?" he asks after taking a spoonful of his porridge into his mouth._

_For a second he is ten years old and she wants to scold him ("It's not polite to talk while chewing, Henry," is on the tip of her tongue)._

_She shakes her head with a smile and an imperceptible sigh. "It's amazing how fast you've grown. How different you are and yet the same boy who used to talk with his mouth full and then was all cute to cover it up."_

_A chuckle escapes her lips and he laughs with her._

" _I'm glad you're here, mom," he says._

" _Me, too, Henry."_

" _How long are you planning to stay?" he asks._

_She senses curiosity and interest in his question, but the glance he shoots towards Cinderella reveals that there's more in his life now. More than his moms and grandparents, and Storybrooke. And with a heavy heart she realizes what she'd been afraid of since the moment she stepped foot in this realm: he's not coming back soon._

" _I'm glad you called for our help, Henry, I really am. And I'll always be happy to help you whenever you need me," she tells him. She thinks about her next words carefully. "I feel like there's still a lot to discover about yourself, to find your place in the world like you've wanted. And as much as it pains me to admit it, you're doing so well on your own. I couldn't be prouder of you for that."_

" _You're always in my life, mom, you know that," he says with another smile that reminds her of the kid who was pleased when she bought him ice cream, when she cooked his favourite food, when they watched the movie he wanted. "And you're right, there's still a lot to learn about who I am and what my role in life is. So, I'd like to stay here for a little while longer."_

_She nods and lowers her head, trying to hide the tears that have started gathering in her eyes. Tears of pride and happiness for her amazing son, but also of nostalgia for her little prince who is not so little anymore._

" _There's something else I want to discuss with you. Something that's been troubling me since last night." She hesitates for a moment, unsure whether talking about it will change anything. But then she tells him. Tells him about her breakdown and her impromptu search for Robin, for the unexpected results of her spell and her hope that hasn't actually died or at least that his soul is still somewhere out there._

_While she's talking about it, it becomes real. More real than it was when the spell's blue light reignited the flare of her long lost hope, more real than when she cried in fear of another failure._

_Henry looks stunned, but in his eyes she can see the belief, the hope that is always there when it comes to her happiness._

" _You should do the spell again and this time chase it the shining scarf!" he says. "It's worth it, mom. If there's a chance for Robin to be here, then grab it."_

_He looks at Cinderella again and his eyes stay there until they lock with hers._

_Regina smiles softly at the sweet exchange and contemplates his words. He's right, of course he's right. Henry has always been a believer, has always had hope and given her encouragement to look for her happiness. And she feels like she owes it to both Henry and Robin to try once more._

" _I'll do it," she says._

_Henry turns to look at her again with a grin on his face. "Do you want me to go with you?"_

" _I'd love to… But no. Something tells me that here is where you need to be right now. With Cinderella." She stresses the young woman's name and Henry chuckles at that._

" _We'll be here, planning our next moves against Lady Tremaine. We'll be waiting for you to come back and if anything changes I'll let you know, okay?"_

_Regina nods. "Good luck, sweetheart."_

" _Good luck to you, too, mom."_

**..**

**::::::**

**..**

**Hyperion Heights**

Rey's birthday celebration started beautifully, just like Roni had planned. The guests arrived one by one, Regan and Raphael included, and they blended with Roni's regular Friday night crowd without any trouble.

Raphael seems to be getting along well with Rey and her friends, and Roni can't say that she finds hanging out with Regan a bad idea. She's been quite busy for the past hour that he's been there, so they haven't managed to actually talk, but only his smile towards her every time she passes by him gives an exciting note to her night.

He's sitting in front of the bar and he looks up at her when she finally has a moment to breathe.

"Is it that crowded every Friday night?" he asks.

Roni nods. "The rest of the week is less hectic, but every Friday and Saturday nights are practically what you see now."

She can feel that he's about to say something, but he hesitates. With a slight shake of her head, she encourages him to talk.

"It wasn't too tiring for you to get up at noon for the last two Saturdays, was it?" he asks.

Roni is thinking about lying to him, that it wasn't, but honesty has always been best in her experience, and so she goes for that. "It wasn't the most pleasant thing. But if we can't work out any other day, I don't mind it."

"I thought about it last week, but it was too late to change our plans. I'll make sure that we reschedule next time," Regan says.

Roni thanks him and he answers with another warm smile.

"Now…" Roni begins. "When will we stop talking about work?" she asks with a smile of her own.

Before Regan can answer, her phone vibrates in her jeans pocket. She frowns when she sees an unknown number, especially since it's past ten o'clock at night.

Apologizing to Regan, she goes outside for a moment to answer.

What she hears at the other end of the line has her surprised and not in a good way. Henry is drunk at a bar about half an hour from her pub. The owner saw her number at the top of his call list, so he called her.

"He's started causing trouble here," the man says, frustration evident in his voice.

"Okay. I'll have someone pick him up," Roni says with confidence she doesn't really feel right now.

She can't leave her pub like that, not when it's Rey's birthday and she has a Friday night crowd to take care of. But her mind goes to Regan and somehow she knows he'll accept to help.

And that he does. He's polite and nice, just like every time they've met, and Roni almost feels bad for asking him to leave his drink and pick up a drunk young man he doesn't even know.

"Are you sure you're alright with that?" she asks for the third time and he rolls his eyes. "You're getting tired of me asking that, aren't you?"

He chuckles. "A little," he admits.

She approaches him to give him a paper with the address of the bar written on it. Their fingers touch briefly when she passes him the note and the sense of dejà vu returns stronger than before. She looks into his eyes and sees questions and also understanding. He felt it, too.

But now it's not the time for that.

"I'll be back shortly," he says after a moment and touches her shoulder gently before he goes.

He's back more than an hour later, without Henry.

Roni looks at him questioningly and gestures him to follow her through a door at the back of the pub. They find themselves in a narrow hallway that gives them a little more privacy and hides most of the noise coming from the pub.

"Everything okay?" Roni asks.

"Everything is fine, don't worry. He didn't want anyone else to see him like that, so I took him to his apartment and made sure he was inside before I left," Regan says. "It was a quite difficult task to find the way to his place, but we made it," he adds with a chuckle.

Roni chuckles with him, although the situation feels more serious than she wants to believe. Suddenly she remembers part of what he just said. " _Don't worry_? Who said I was worried?" she asks, half teasingly, half seriously.

The way Regan looks at her feels like he's seeing through her soul. It's scary and thrilling at the same time. She understands what he wants to say before he actually puts it into words.

"This Henry… He told me that you haven't known each other for a long time. And still, it's like you're almost family," Regan says.

And it's true. She doesn't know what it is with Henry, but from the moment she met him, she felt close to him. She felt protective and… He is like the son she could never have. But even though she wants to share all that with Regan, her logic tells her that it's too soon. "You're right," she chooses to say. "And everything else is a story for another time."

"I respect that. Maybe this other time will be another night without all that Friday crowd?" he asks.

"Maybe."

They remain with their eyes locked for a moment, just smiling at each other.

"Okay. How about going back to the party to prevent those young people from drinking everything in my pub?" Roni asks playfully.

"As you wish, milady."


	4. His wishes and the chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unbetaed and written for prompt #7 of the OQ Prompt Party 2018: Robin makes three wishes. Thank you for reading and commenting, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! The flashback of this one is special to me, because it combines one of my favourite places, Mount Olympus, with a little bit of Greek mythology.
> 
> -Anastasia

 

**_Mount Olympus_ **

_There was still snow when he arrived at the home of the Greek gods. Late spring it was, but the signs of winter don't leave the high altitudes until the days are the longest and the sun shines directly above them at noon. Even then, hints of snow still remain, forever unseen by the sun, in cracks of the ground its rays never reach._

_Robin knows of forests, of lands where the wild conquers every creature, every trace of life. He's never lived on a mountain though. Now he finds out that if you want to survive there, you have to learn to love it. And he does. He has nothing else to love anyway, nothing else to lose. So, he embraces the difficult parts of his journey and makes the unknown aspects of the mountain his._

_He begins at the base. He looks at the path in front of him, then up at the highest peak. It seems to be reaching the sky, but it doesn't scare him. Somehow he knows he has to go._

_He loses sight of the sea behind him after the first few hours. Then everything is dark under the shadows of the tall trees. But as he follows the river in the deep gorge, he feels unexpectedly safe._

_The river leads him to an uphill path where he comes across waterfalls pouring into pools of crystal clear water. All around him stand evergreen broadleaf trees. Unripe green strawberries are hanging from some lower plants and Robin realizes that he doesn't crave them, doesn't need to eat._

_The vegetation gradually turns into clusters of black pines and for a while Robin feels at home. The temperature falls as he climbs up and up, the air becomes thinner and the forest sparser._

_Sometimes the people he sees are alive. They wear hiking boots of the modern world, like the ones he'd once noticed in a forgotten catalogue at Granny's, and thick jackets along with warm hats and scarves. They hold sticks that apparently help them steady themselves as they make their way through the slippery slopes of the mountain. They always continue walking without paying attention to him._

_Sometimes the people he sees are dead. Like him. He notices blood on some, dirt on others; it's not that hard to guess that they wear what they did at the time of their death. He can see through them. And they can see_ him _, unlike the ones that are still full of life. But they don't talk to each other; they just keep climbing._

_The temperature changes dramatically when he reaches a small opening. A trail in between cliffs appears in front of him; "the neck" trail he hears the hikers call it._

_Snow starts falling as he's ascending the rocky steps that follow and he feels the wind piercing through his bones. He is not cold though, and for that he's grateful, especially when he sees some of the hikers struggle in the snowstorm. He wants to help them, but he can't. He can't even touch them. And so, he continues his way with the rest of the dead (_ "or maybe, the undead?"  _he wonders)._

_He finally reaches the Muses's Plateau. The vegetation is low here and the sources of unfrozen water limited. Some wild goats are running to find refuge from the snow. Robin feels bad for the hikers, but he knows they'll make it to their own refuges, two small buildings along the marked path._

_The end of his journey has come, so he focuses on that. He finds his own form of refuge, his destination. The home of the Greek gods stands tall and imposing across the precipice. On its right, Stefani sharply rises, the throne of Zeus, its rocky surface the steepest Robin has seen on Mount Olympus._

_He doesn't have to go there. Somehow he knows. He has to wait._

_And so he does. He waits until the snow melts, until the temperature is comfortable enough for the hikers to only wear thin hoodies when the sun is shining._

_And then one day, it happens._

" _Hello, Robin."_

" _Hello, Robin."_

" _Hello, Robin."_

_Three voices surround him, voices that belong to three different women. He's surprised, to say the least. Mostly because they see him while the hikers around them don't see any of them._

_He's lost all sense of time and he has so many questions._

" _Who are you?" he asks first, looking at one woman after the other._

_They answer unanimously, "We are the three Fates."_

" _I am Clotho," says the youngest of the women. The sheer fabric she wears as a cloak only covers her lower body and its pastel pink matches her light complexion. She is using a distaff and a spindle continuously, a white thread spinning like in slow motion and ending up falling over the edge of the cliff. "I was called upon the ninth month of your mother's pregnancy and I've been spinning the thread of your life ever since."_

" _I am Lachesis," the middle aged woman says. Her skin and hair are darker, and her clothing not as revealing. The dark red of her chiton is contrasting to the white of her chlamys, and her face bears several lines of age. The wooden rod she's holding is decorated with leaves and flowers. "I've been measuring that thread while you lived and I've kept measuring it even after your death."_

" _I am Atropos," says the oldest woman. Her hair is grey under her shawl and her skin is wrinkled. Wisdom shows in her eyes while her body is covered with dull coloured garments. Robin can see a pair of shears in her hands, an object that looks anti-climatic in the mystic atmosphere the presence of the women has created. "I am responsible for cutting the thread upon your death. I am the one who decides when someone's life ends and how. Though said thread has been cut without my permission."_

" _Why are you here? And why am I here?" Robin asks._

" _Hades did it… Again," Clotho says, rolling her eyes without really looking away from her spindle._

_Lachesis's face contorts in anger before she explains. "Not only he killed you before your time, but he was about to end someone else's life, not yours. Your destiny was changed fully due to your heroic and altruistic action."_

" _The cosmic balance has been disrupted…" Atropos says. "Again."_

" _Is there any way to fix that?" Robin asks._

" _That is what we are here to find out," Clotho says._

_Lachesis continues for her, "Well, that is what you are here for."_

_Robin is confused. Hope rises in his chest, but he doesn't want to believe what he suspects is happening. "You mean-"_

" _We summoned you," Atropos interrupts him. "You've climbed the mountain after our call."_

" _What do I have to do?" he asks._

" _You have to make three wishes," Atropos replies. "I get to decide whether the thread of your life will remain cut or be connected again."_

" _But you have to be careful. Three wishes and that is all," Lachesis says._

_Robin takes a moment to think and then asks, "How do I know which wishes are the right ones?"_

_Clotho lets out a lighthearted laugh. "There are no right ones. The rightness of your wishes depends on your soulmate's wishes."_

" _Regina knows about this?" Robin asks in surprise._

" _She is not aware of this, no," Atropos says. "But she has made three wishes of her own without realizing it. And we know about them."_

" _So…" Lachesis begins while checking her measuring rod. "Your turn has come. Do you need some time to think?"_

" _No, I'm ready," Robin says without losing a beat. Everything he wants, everything he secretly wished all this time that he was climbing and then waiting, all his wishes are right there, at the forefront of his mind._

_Clotho nods at him, encouraging him to go on. And so, he does._

" _I wish for my children's health and happiness. For Roland and my daughter to be healthy and happy, even if I never see them again," he says surely and resolutely. His heart breaks at his last words, but he doesn't let it show in his voice. Just as determinedly, he continues. "I wish that Regina lives. If the way to fix this situation is her death instead of mine, like Hades originally planned, then I still choose to be the one whose life comes to an end." He watches Lachesis's lips curving to form a smile and the flicker of hope becomes a little stronger inside him. "And… I wish that what I started with the Merry Men all this time ago continues being out there. That the Merry Men themselves or other people like them do their best to help those in need."_

_Clotho is also smiling now, and even Atropos's expression has changed to a brighter one._

" _You're smiling," Robin says. "Why are you smiling?"_

_Clotho giggles while Lachesis is swirling some more flowers - flowers that have just appeared out of nowhere - around her rod._

" _Because your wishes - yours and your soulmate's - have just helped us restore part of the cosmic balance," Atropos finally answers. "Eunomia! Dike!" she calls._

" _Who…?" Robin wonders._

" _Our sisters, Eunomia and Dike, will help us correct the thread of your life," Clotho says, showing Robin the point where the thread is cut, while the spindle keeps spinning on its own in her hand._

" _I knew that measuring it after your death would not be pointless!" Lachesis exclaims._

_The women's light mood is infectious and Robin finds himself grinning. The Fates are gone in an instant, probably moving towards the next dead person in their list._

_Eunomia and Dike appear and their decisive faces are the last thing Robin sees before Mount Olympus starts disappearing and there's only darkness around him._

**..**

**::::::**

**..**

**Hyperion Heights**

"So? Will you do it?" Raphael asks as he's waiting outside Roni's along with Regan.

"Do what?" Regan wonders.

"Ask Roni out on a date!" Raphael says like it's something obvious that only Regan doesn't see.

If Regan wants to be honest with himself, it's not that he doesn't see it, he's just a little hesitant to actually do it. Sure, at the birthday party he suggested that they met again on a more quiet night, but now, days later, it feels a bit strange. Because accidental meetings and  _déjà vu_ s aside, he doesn't know Roni at all.

"You don't really know each other," Raphael starts as if he can read Regan's thoughts, "but that's what dates are for."

"That's what dates are for at  _your_  age," Regan says flatly, making Raphael chuckle.

"Sure, old man," Raphael says right when the door opens and Roni appears.

"Who's an old man?" she asks, provoking an outburst of laughter from Raphael.

Roni and Regan smile at each other as Raphael, still laughing, brings the first batch of beers inside the pub.

Several batches later, all bottles have been unloaded and Raphael is more than ready to go.

"You don't need me for anything else today, do you?" he asks, and at Regan's shake of the head he adds, "Think about what I told you."

And he leaves with a smirk that apparently makes Roni curious.

"What was all that about?" she asks before gesturing towards the bar.

"Just something between us," Regan says, taking a seat.

Roni opens a bottle of "Deep Forest Green" and closes her eyes in pleasure, enjoying the beer's unique taste. "One day I'll ask you about the secret ingredient," she says, winking at him.

Regan's mouth goes dry and out of the blue he's looking at  _her_  mouth, the dark red colour of her lips, the way the opening of the bottle sticks to them when she contently swallows more beer.

Roni looks at him with one raised eyebrow and a smirk when she lets the bottle on the bar top.

Shoot. He's busted. She doesn't seem to mind the attention though, so he just gives her a smile and replies, "One day I'll gladly show you how I make my beers and ales."

Her smirk turns into a bright smile. "Are you busy?" she asks.

"Not until four in the afternoon."

"Great. Since today we've chosen a more normal time for the delivery - thank you for that, by the way - would you fancy one of my famous burgers while I get everything ready in here?"

Regan looks at her for a moment. Her words and attitude reveal confidence, but there's something that makes him feel she's more vulnerable than she wants to admit. And Regan wants to take the chance he has to get to know more about what she hides behind the pub owner and the Belfrey-fighter. Because he's sure there's more to her than that.

He thinks about Marita's last words and Raphael's advice, and decides to grab this chance.

"Only if you go out with me on your next free night."


	5. Her wishes and the alternate scenarios

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbetaed and written for the OQ Prompt Party 2018 prompts #74: Regina goes to visit Robin’s grave for the first time & #172: “And for the first time in a long time, I could imagine a future where I was happy". I hope you enjoy the chapter :) Fun fact: I wrote Regina's monologue almost two years ago, when Robin died in the series. It remained unused in my documents and I found the chance to change it a little bit and use it in this story!
> 
> -Anastasia

**_Storybrooke_ **

_She first goes to visit his grave on the night after his funeral._

_She's used to the silence of the cemetery at night. This time though, the silence is deafening. She only has her thoughts to keep her company and her mind is screaming from frustration and sorrow._

_She doesn't say anything, just leans on Robin's stone and cries. The hours pass and she only realizes when she hears the first birds sing. And - what are the chances? - they're robins. A couple of them are sitting on a tree not far from where_ her  _Robin will remain forever._

_No fresh tears fall at the reminder of him. Only her thoughts keep screaming at the injustice of it all._

**..**

**::::::**

**..**

_It's been a week since the Queen arrived to Storybrooke._

_She's angry._

_She wants revenge._

_She wants her son - because Henry is_ her  _son as well, no matter what everyone says - to believe in her._

_She needs something that is missing, something she can't find in Rumple's kisses or in any "evil" action towards the "heroes"._

_She realizes what it is when she holds the baby for the first time._

_Robin. His daughter. She has his eyes and she doesn't want to stop holding her. But she has to, and later that day, when everyone is distracted with plans to destroy her, a swirl of her magic takes her to the cemetery._

_She doesn't want to admit it, not even to herself._

_She misses him. As much as she did when she was whole. When she had a heart filled with both love and hate. But now… How can she still love him now?_

You're still soulmates _, a voice inside her says._

_Robin is - was - the soulmate of her, all of her, not just of one part of Regina._

_As she stands before his grave, she realizes that part of the anger she's been feeling comes from Robin's actions. She's infuriated at him for dying for her._

_A tear tries to escape her eye and she tightens her teeth to not let it._

Tears of anger _, she tells herself._

_But deep inside she knows the truth and she's sure that Robin would know as well._

**..**

**::::::**

**..**

_She goes to him after they're back from the Enchanted Forest. After she's seen how happy her other self seemed to be with a version of Robin she never really felt like the Robin she knew. After she's seen Roland from afar, living with the Merry Men. After Henry and everyone in town have truly embraced her as their one and only Mayor and Queen._

_And after everything that has happened, this is the first time she feels more like herself. Still split, but with as much darkness as light inside of her._

_And it's the first time she can actually express what she's feeling in words._

_So, she talks to him. She hasn't done that before and the first few words sound strange to her. But her emotions take over and the sentences flow freely. While she talks, she can almost see him in front of her, with his eyes locked on hers and his heart open._

" _I miss you so much, Robin. Your presence in my life lit my way and helped me believe in myself. Along with Henry, you were my anchor and my strength._ _You loved me and for the first time in a long time, I could imagine a future where I was happy._   _I would do anything to have you here with me again. But even if I couldn't, even if forces stronger than us, than our love, insisted on keeping us apart, then I'd have you in the Enchanted Forest with Roland instead. And I'd send your daughter, Robyn – yes, that's what her name is – there with the two of you if it was in my power. I'd shake heaven and hell to have you alive, at your home and with your children, even if it meant I never got to see you again._

 _It's killing me that you went away so unfairly. I don't understand it and I never will. The only thing I understand is your love. The fact that we never said it out loud, that we never allowed ourselves to say it out loud, doesn't mean that we didn't know. We both knew, and if possible, I love you more and more every day, even though you aren't here anymore. I know you loved me until your last breath. In some moments, the pain is unbearable, but I have to fight it. I keep fighting because there are still so many things to fight for. I fight for my son and my friends, for your children and your men. For our family, my people and your people. Not everyone remains here, in this place I insist to call home, but I fight for everyone who is out there and needs to believe in happy endings. I might not believe that for myself, not anymore - and I know you would scold me for that - but it's true, Robin, I can't believe that anymore. I try to believe it for everyone else, and be the person you were so proud of. The other me is already helping the Merry Men continue what you started with so much vigour all that time ago. Your work will forever remain_ alive _; I'll make sure of that, because I know how important it was for you._

 _I don't know where you are. But I refuse to believe that you don't exist anymore. I saw you, I saw your brave and generous soul leave this world. And it went_ somewhere _. If I could turn back time and change our story I wouldn't let you take my place. I don't know how, but I would stop you. You weren't the one who were supposed to die, Robin…_

_You told me that you thought about my smile every time you closed your eyes. I know that wherever you are, you'll cherish the memories of your children, your men and the people you helped. Keep my smile among them, keep our happy moments - so few but so powerful - and let them guide you like they keep guiding me."_

_She doesn't understand how she finds herself on the ground. Her body is shaking with painful sobs and she tells herself that Robin wouldn't want her to suffer. She wills herself to stop a few minutes later._

_In her mind, a plan is already forming. She'll start searching for him as soon as possible._

_Not far from the touching scene, Eunomia and Dike stand._

_Eunomia makes sure that laws are followed and the society remains stable. Dike, as the goddess of justice, works for the moral order and fair judgement. Along with Eirene, the personification of peace, they try to make the world a better place._

_The two sisters watch as Regina finally stands up and starts walking away slowly._

" _Ah… Soulmates… An ancient concept. Older than the Fates themselves," Eunomia says dreamily._

_Dike lets out a frustrated sigh. "She has no idea how strong their connection is."_

_Eunomia shakes her head. "Their time together was limited. Maybe they will get the chance to discover it."_

_Dike nods. "Have we got everything we need?" she asks._

" _I have everything recorded here." Eunomia holds up a piece of parchment with Regina's monologue written on it. "Now all we have to do is wait for_ his  _wishes."_

**..**

**::::::**

**..**

**Hyperion Heights**

It's a quiet morning before the pub's opening time and Roni is lost in her thoughts while filling the salt shakers. Her date with Regan is tomorrow night and she doesn't know what to do about it. There's attraction between them, that's for sure, and there's also that strange connection they both feel whenever they are together. And then there's their professional relationship that's going really well and she's afraid to destroy it if anything goes wrong.

She's so focused on her thoughts that she doesn't hear Henry come into the pub. She jumps at his ' _Morning_ and an empty salt shaker falls from her hands and breaks into pieces.

"Sorry," Henry mutters as he approaches her.

"It's okay," she says.

She's gone for a moment and when she returns with a broom and a dustpan, she notices a piece of paper lying on the table she'd been sitting at.

"What's that?" she gestures towards the paper.

Henry gestures to the broom and she passes it to him. He starts sweeping the broken glass as he answers, "It's a draft I wrote a lot time ago. Several drafts actually. Take a look at it."

Roni leaves the dustpan on the floor close to Henry and walks around the table.

She frowns when she starts reading. She understands that the names are from Henry's book, but she can't imagine why he wants her to read it. She looks up at him questioningly.

"Go on," Henry says.

Roni looks at the paper again. She reads five different scenarios, each of them a way the story could have progressed and then ended.

She recognizes the book's actual storyline and happy ending in the second scenario.

"Why are you showing me this?" she asks.

"Because every story has many alternate options," Henry says as he empties the dustpan in the bin. "I chose a happy ending for my book, but look at all the other ways the story could have gone."

Roni raises an eyebrow. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say that you should let yourself take a chance at happiness. Just because you were hurt back then, it doesn't mean that the same thing will happen now. But you won't know what happens until you make the choice."

"This is not your book, Henry. It's real life." She sighs. "And in real life you take a risk every time you make a choice. A risk that can hurt you."

"A risk that can hurt you  _or_  make you happy," Henry says. "I did the same with my book. I chose the second version of the story and… practically failed." He chuckles. "But here I am. Alive and well."

Roni shakes her head with a smile. "I can't argue with that," she says. "Even though you would be even better if you finally asked Jacinda out."

"Oh, don't you think I know that?" Henry asks dramatically. "I've had enough self pity the other night when I got drunk though."

Regina rolls her eyes. She had a discussion with Henry on the day after Rey's party. She knows the struggles of the young man and she told him that she didn't approve his choice of drowning himself in alcohol instead of facing his feelings.

"But," Henry continues, "you don't have that problem, because Regan has already asked you out and you've accepted. It's a chance at happiness as much as it is a possibility to get hurt, Roni. Take the risk."

"You sound very mature when you're not talking about  _your_  personal life, you know that?" Roni asks.

Henry laughs. "I just think that you deserve to be happy."

Roni is touched at his words, even though a happy ending doesn't sound something like she's expecting from her life. "Thank you, Henry. I'll take your advice into account."

She takes the broom and dustpan back into the closet and when she turns to look at Henry again, she adds with a devilish smile, "But if it's a failure, you'll work here free for a weekend."


End file.
